TOWN IS DONE :D (Self-reflection)

Finalllyyyyyy, town is over. I don't have to worry about buying groceries, or my nonexistent kids that I can never keep track of, or the reality add-ons that I can't afford. In spite of all of that though, town was really fun. Even though it was stressful, it was still fun, and MUCH better than working out of a textbook. I did, however, leave myself a little behind. I'm writing this blog the day town is due, at 12:35 AM. Oops...
This is my last one though so I'm pretty excited. After this, I have to finish my spreadsheets, fill out the handouts, and just get down the bare priorities.
In hindsight, I could've utilized my work time better in the last few weeks. At the beginning of town I was doing really well, other than being behind in blogs, but in year 3 I really got behind, and only realized it a few hours ago. I fooled myself into thinking I had WAY less work than what I should have.
At the beginning of town I was so hyped up and had this mindset where I was going to finish everything on time and still have time for awesome reality marks...
that didn't really work out though....

Even still, town was fun, regardless of staying up all night, scrambling to pull the final product together.

MIDNIGHT MADNESS !

For Midnight Madness, Eli, Tristan, and I held another lawyer presentation. This time we discussed different things to do with law. Eli did 'what is law?', I did 'how does relate to you', and Tristan did 'what are your rights?'. On top of that, in order to generate some business, we sold family packages to the people who attended our seminar. The packages consisted of wills, adoption certificates, a marriage license, and a prenup. Throughout the course of the night, all three of us also had a 13% off sale. We charged our customers the price before tax minus 13%. The whole night was really fun and I made a lot of money. I got put on retainer for a few people, which means they pay a certain amount of money and I become their lawyer for X amount of hours of X amount of days... you get the point. Annnywaaayss, the whole thing was really fun and I enjoyed it. The downside was that before the sale began, I was a little unorganized. I had to organize the packages, set up my office, print off my catalogue, not to mention the countless times my printer didn't want to cooperate. Oh well, it all worked out in the end.

Blog Post #13

In 2014, Tristan, Eli, and I hosted a will workshop. A bunch of people attended to be informed on how to fill our their will properly. We did this because none of us had made a lot of money in year 1, and no one was really doing what they were supposed to be doing when it came to legal stuff. We had made several announcements but it just wasn't working. The will workshop opened up all our businesses a lot and expanded our customers. From that point on, I started making a lot more money and getting a lot more business. It wasn't just wills though, the workshop, and other means of 'awareness' made more people came to me for real estate and adoption certificates. The format of the workshop was that we handed out wills to everyone who came, and answered everyone's questions about how to fill something out or what something meant, etc.

Blog Post #12

In 2014, the election really heated up. The mayor and candidate brought up the issue of homelessness in Horizonia, and presented us with some very inaccurate stats. They told us that 10% of our population. This brought up some real confusion in the debate but I think Jonah handled it very well, even if he was completely misinformed. He had a good idea, that would work regardless of the amount of homeless people in Horizonia, but it's much easier to do since we're now aware that only around 750 are homeless, rather than 15, 000. Jonah's proposal is to build public housing, drug rehabilitation centre(s), and mental hospitals. I think these ideas will definitely combat this newly brought up issue. Once again, Jonah's campaign outweighs Emma's, but he hasn't done that well in the debates. He has good points and ideas, but nothing to match Emma's rebuttals. He seems to avoid what she brings up which isn't good if he wants to be re-elected.

Blog Post #11

I started 2014 off with a bang. Going to City Hall in Toronto, seeing the countdown with my family, this year has a lot of promise. Midnight Madness was in year 3 and that was really fun. But before that, there were a lot of community events I attended regarding the election, specifically the condo issue. First of all, there was a panel discussion with the mayor, the mayor candidate, Roy Buck, the town planner, the environmentalist, the head of the business association, and the owner of the country club. Emma had some strong points but she really didn't convince me that she had any campaign of her own. She did, however, shut down Jonah's points a lot. I was very disappointed at Jonah's rebuttals, as they didn't even address Emma's points. In that aspect, Emma would make a better mayor, but her platform is completely transparent.I'm totally behind the idea of the condo but Jonah did NOT do well in the debates. His speeches were good, but he just had no rebuttals.

Self Reflection #4

Year 2, AKA 2013 has ended. It was legit so much work, but really fun too. I developed my persona a lot more in year 2. Now I have hobbies, interests, and I've translated some of those into my kids' personalities. I also made a lot more money in year 2, so it's much easier to do stuff I'd want to do as an adult. I can go on trips, buy nice clothes, invest in my hobbies, like buying thousand dollar watches ;) Anywaaaaays, I got on track with my reality add-ons in year 2, I wasn't completely caught up, but I got on top of all that stuff in year 23. I finished my spreadsheets before the year ended this time, unlike year 1, which carried over into year 2... oops. Overall though, I really got on top of my work in year 2, which meant year 3 wasn't too hard.

Blog Post #10

For the new year of 2014, Anthony and I took the family to City Hall in Toronto. I had never been to the new year's celebration there but Anthony had as a kid and said it was awesome. We left in the morning and spent the whole day in the city. We had a really nice breakfast at BOOM on College St. It was pretty expensive but the food there is great.In the afternoon we saw a 4-D movie at AMC, then spent a few hours shopping downtown, which was really fun doing as a kid, and the stores down there are so good. Anthony and I satisfied our obsession by buying a few pairs of shoes, and bought the kids some toques, and other things. The whole day was really fun but the greatest part was City Hall.

We got there at around 9pm, and got some really good seats. The kids were having a great time, not complaining a bit.They loved the show, which most people skip because they just want to see the countdown.We stayed at Anthony's parents' house for the night, got some breakfast the next morning and drove home.

The whole thing was really fun.

Blog Post #9

For the holidays of 2013, Anthony, Jamal, Kat, Sam, and I all went to Anthony's parents' house.  We opened presents and all that at our house, then went over to Toronto in the afternoon. It was a really nice Christmas and we had a delicious dinner.During the break, I taught our kids to skate and they're doing really well.For New Year's, Anthony and I put our kids in daycare and went out for dinner and drinks with Zak, Phil, Andrew, and Jonah at The Arrow. For Christmas, Sam, Jermaine, and Kat all got new shoes, a PS3 to share, and a TV for their playroom. We had a really fun winter break. We took the kids tobogganing, skating. The best thing was when we built up really high snow forts and had a big snowball fight.

Kat's Hyperdunks

Sam's Creative Recreations

Jamal's Nike Air Huarache Elite's

Blog Post #8

For Anthony's 30th birthday in July, I bought him a Hublot Aero Bang watch. It cost me almost $26,000. Which leads me to my new found hobby, collecting luxury watches. For my birthday, I asked my friends to get me luxury watches. These watches don't have to be expensive or anything, I wouldn't ask my friends for a $26,000 watch, they just look really nice. For my party, Philip, Anthony, Zak, Andrew, Jonah, and I all drove in to Toronto for dinner at Hair of the Dog, a very high-end restaurant. We got the meal for free however, since I know the owner, it was a birthday gift. Then we went out to a club/bar of the same owner. We had a really fun night. It We went back to Horizonia very early in the morning and I believe it goes without saying we all took a day off work. I covered the bill from the club for my friends. Turning 31 may be no big deal, but that night sure was. It was nice to get out to the city and get away from work even if it was for just a little while.

Blog Post #7

Clearly I haven't been updating my blog frequently as 2013 is already over and I've only made two posts this year! 2013 was Anthony and I's first year with our new kids, Sam, Jamal, and Kat, and we love them.   This year has been great for my business and I've been able to pull myself out of my debts from 2012. Anthony's gambling issues have been on the rise. It's been worrisome but he's actually been winning a lot of money. As long as he isn't in debt and starting any beef, it's harmless. Profit projections for this year are unbelievable. In the first four months of the year I made more than double my starting salary for 2012.  This year, Eli, Tristan, and I have been working together a lot more. We still separate our business but we're a lot more helpful to each other now and it's improving all of our sales. We held a will writing workshop a the end of the year which really helped the people of Horizonia and made us a lot of money. I'm really hoping Mr. Merali will win the election so that an investment opportunity for the condos could be negotiated. My investments I made with the $20,00 I inherited at the beginning of the year have been making money, and overall my life is just very good. I'm really hoping Mr. Merali will win the election so that an investment opportunity for the condos could be negotiated.

Mayor Responses (Blog post #6)

Jonah is running for re-election and his platform looks promising. He's all about bringing up the economy of Horizonia; he's proposed to build a new condo where the old factory is. He also supports the protection of families, whether they're conventional or not. Jonah also supports the idea of economic development. He's proposed, with the help of Roy Buck, to remove the old factory and build a condominium there. Jonah's goal in doing that is to open our economy and create sustainable development for Horizonia. I believe that with the help of Roy Buck, Jonah can really improve our town and make it a much more prominent place in Ontario.

Emma Swarney is the mayor candidate and her platform is the opposite in some aspects. Emma's platform is mostly centered around family. Rather than wanting corporate development for Horizonia, Emma wants to keep the tight-nit community of our town the way it is. She's also completely opposed to Jonah and Roy Buck's plan to build a condo on the waterfront. A big part of Emma's campaign is Project: Lakshore, and she's trying to keep the lake just the way it is.

In my opinion, Emma's campaign is just to stop Jonah from executing his campaign, and if it weren't for Jonah, Emma wouldn't be running at all.Whether that's true or not, that's how it looks to me and I don't feel a very valid platform is one that just attacks another.

Self-reflection #3

Today was the first day of year two. Because of the new agenda system with the stickers, I now have three kids, smoke/water damage in my house, and on a different note, inherited $20,000, which I invested. Anthony and I weren't going to have any kids, considering the extra cost and extra work, but now it's pretty much mandatory. We both got the number two on our agendas so we were going to have four, but Nicole dropped it down to two, fortunately. Although, at least our adoption process won't cost anything since I'm a lawyer, and I already have adoption certificates made up. I spent most of the morning dealing with my spreadsheets and finishing my year one records. It turns out that my profit for that year was only $488.83, which is kind of embarrassing considering my starting salary is $80,000. The main problem is that people don't actually account for a lawyer when they do business so most contracts go without notarization, and real estate deals go down without a lawyer. That's the most frustrating part in terms of in-role stuff because Tristan, Eli, and I have made multiple announcements and I've reminded the real estate agents and bank. The good thing is that I'm finally on top of my work, except my blog...

Blog Post #5

I've finally caught with my blogging for last year. Overall, 2012 was pretty good, in spite of some unfortunate things. The snowstorm at the beginning of the year gave Anthony, and some friends bonding time. Since none of us could go in to work, Philip, Zak, and Andrew all came over to our house. The rainstorm in the spring made for some nice rainbows and the flowers blossomed beautifully, I think it was worth it. The heatwave in the summer was brutal, and there really wasn't any upside to it; the beaches were crowded, the heat was unbearable, and lots of our neighbors had lawn damage because of it. now it's 2013, and this years going even better than the last. Before deductions, I've already made over $100,000, and projections for it to get even higher. Anthony and I just finished re-furnishing the house to accommodate our three kids that we just got adoption papers approved for! I'm extremely excited to start my life with them.

Blog Post #4

The fall of 2012 was was actually very nice. Not only did I make the most money out of 2012 then, which shows projection for better profit this year, but it was also fairly warm. At least for the first month or so, because the general heat of the summer was higher than usual because of the heatwave, it last through September and a bit of October. Like I've said before, Anthony and I were trying to save money for our kids on the way so I didn't throw an extravagant party for my birthday (September 16th), just a small get-together with some friends, and my parents came to visit the night before. For Halloween, Anthony and I went to a party with some of his poker friends. They're nice guys, but i think they spend a little too much time at the casino, and it's starting to have an influence on Anthony.

Blog Post #3

As I've stated before, I'm very behind on my blog. It's already 2012 and I'm only just starting the post that should've been made in the summer. In July, Horizonia suffered a brutal heatwave. Lots of people had yard damage, and it was awful wearing a suit to work everyday, which is why it was so good that Anthony won a radio contest. We got a free, two night getaway to Windsor Arms in Toronto, including a gourmet dinner. The rest of the summer was really nice though. We decided not to go on a huge vacation because we knew our adoption process would be completed int he new year and we needed to save our money, especially my firm not doing incredibly well that year. We did spend a few days off at the beach though, which was nice. I just got my second business loan approved this year which will I'll be able to expand a lot and make more money. This year I was also to hired to act as Impervia's in-house council, which will just mean more money, which is always good.

Blog Post #2

Summer has just begun and there's a lot to talk about, but I have to catch up with the beautiful spring Horizonia had, first. Completely contrasting the harsh winter, the snow melted, the sun came out and the rainy days just made the flowers look nicer. Business is in full swing now, and I'm gathering clients by the day. I've been doing prenuptials, notary, and overlooking contracts.But, I'm staying on top of it. Although, I do need to catch up with my bills, and soon. All in all, this first half of the year has been pretty great, and a great start to the rest of it.  I look forward to what else this year has to offer.

Town Self-Reflection #2

Clearly I'm very behind on my blog because this post was supposed to be made last week, along with the others I'm working on right now. The in-role part of town started last week, and it's even more work than I thought it would be. I'm trying to work on balancing business transactions and working on the other assignments. I haven't yet bought some key things. I haven't furnished my business, bought groceries, clothes, a car, or made a mortgage payment yet. That's the part that's overwhelming me the most. Just trying to balance personal assignments and business assignments is what's getting me behind. However, I've drafted out all of my job research answers and applied for all my loans and mortgage, so I'm not completely behind.

Blog Post #1

This past January, there was a brutal snowstorm. I was just on my way to work at 33 Main Street. The snow was billowing down and wouldn't let up. The traffic went on for what seemed like miles, and there was no way out of it. I wasn't even close to Main Street, and it had already taken me 20 minutes or so to get to the intersection at City and Jonah St. I realized there was no way I was going to get to my firm in less than an hour, or even longer, and neither would my clients. Suddenly, coupled with the snow was furious hail pouring down from the sky, that even left small dents on the roof of my car. I called my paralegal and secretary to tell them I was closing the firm for the day, and I turned around and went home; there wasn't so much traffic heading back. The year has been pretty good so far. I recently incorporated my law firm, which will save me a lot of money in the future, and I hired a secretary this year, which is making my business run much more efficiently. Hopefully the cold weather will clear up for a nice spring and there won't be too much rain.

Pre-Town Self-Reflection

Town is going to start on Monday and I'm finally getting everything together. I've almost completed my bank applications (mortgage, business loan, credit card), I've started my business sign, done most of my rough job research, have scheduled my job visit, and have finished my business model. I still have a lot of work to do though. In time for Monday, I have complete all three of my bank application, finish my business sign, fill out both job research sheets in rough, create my inventory, and complete my biography. It seems like a lot of work, but I've started on most of it and have a good idea of what I have to do. Although it would've been better if I had prioritized my work a little bit more during the two week prep. period we're given. I'll just have to catch up with everything before Monday and I'll be fine. I'm looking forward to what the actual Town experience is going to be like and as long as I stay on top of work, I'm sure it'll be fun.